Chair



L. F. SCOTT A ril 17, 1934.

CHAIR Filed Sept. 7. 1932 Patented Apr. 17, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application September 7, 1932, Serial No. 632,035

2 Claims. (Cl. 155-119) This invention relates to improvements in chairs, and more particularly to the construction of reclining back chairs for use in busses, aeroplanes and the like.

In the construction of chairs for this purpose it is, of course, primarily desirable that the chairs should be constructed as lightly as possible. Therefore, objects of the present invention are: the elimination of the necessity for springs or other accessories for returning the chair back to vertical position when it has been adjusted to an inclined position; the provision of a light and inexpensive means for limiting movement of the chair back to inclined positions which may be readily released at any time to permit a change of such position, and the provision of means for conveniently and securely attaching the chair seat to a flexible sheet comprising at once the true bottom and back of the chair.

These and other objects I attain by the construction shown in the accompanying drawing wherein, for the purpose of illustration, I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a chair constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view showing the method of securing the chair seat; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation showing the method of mounting and controlling the ratchet bar.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 10 generally designates side frames including supporting legs 11 and arm rests 12, these frames being connected .by tubular rounds or cross rails 13. The rear cross rail 13 pivotally receives the lower ends of the arms 14 of an inverted U-shaped back frame, the cross member of which is designated at 1.5. A flexible sheet 16 of suitable material is passed about the cross bar 15 and connected upon itself in any suitable manner, as by snap fasteners 1'7. The opposite end of this sheet is folded upon itself as designated at 18 and this fold 18 passed over the front rail 13 and secured by bolting, or otherwise securing the same, to a bracket 19 arranged immediately beneath this rail. The flap 20 formed by this fold has at its free end elements of snap fasteners 21, the co-acting elements of which are carried by the sheet proper so that this flap may be secured upon the upper surface of the sheet rearwardly of the front cross rail. This flap, inwardly of its edge, has elements of snap fasteners 22 for co-action with corresponding elements upon the rear edge of a flap 23 the forward edge of which is suitably secured to the bottom of a seat 24 as indicated at '25. It will be obvious that the seat 24 may be readily detached 0 for cleaning, replacement, or the like, by simply grasping the unattached rear edge of the seat and elevating the same, releasing the snap fasteners 21 so that the flap 20 is freed and subsequently releasing the snap fasteners 22. 5 It will be obvious that with a seat of this character, and the flexible back carried by the pivoted frame, the weight of a passenger upon the seat will tend at all times to elevate the upper end of the back and to cause the back frame to assume a vertical position; at the same time, pressure exerted by the passenger, as when leaning against the back, will tend to move the back to a more inclined position. In order that the inclined position may be limited to a desired selected position, I pivot upon the arms 14 the rear ends of ratchet bars 26, the forward ends of which project into hollow castings 27 secured to the arm rests 12 of side members 10. The casting has an opening 28 of sufllcient size to 30 allow a slight vertical movement of the bar 26, and within the casting I arrange a pivoted pawl 29 which, through a spring 30, engages the notches 31 of the ratchet bar 26 to prevent rearward movement of this bar. This pawl has a tail 32 5 arranged in the path of a plunger 33, the forward end of which projects from the forward end of the casting and is accessible to the seated passenger. A spring 35 constantly urges the plunger forwardly so that it will not interfere with operation of the spring 30 under normal conditions. The forward end of the ratchet bar has a depending lug 36 which, after a predetermined rearward movement of the ratchet bar, is disposed in the path of the pawl 29, even when shifted to inoperative position by the plunger, thus providing a positive stop for rearward movement of the back. When a passenger desires to increase the inclination of the back of the chair,

this may be accomplished by simply leaning against the back of the chair after releasing the pawl 29 through plunger 33. If it is desired to decrease the inclination, the passenger merely elevates his back slightly and the back of the EMS chair will move forwardly, the ratchet bar ratcheting over pawl 29. It will be understood that the forward movement of the back takes place due to the fact that the weight of the passenger tends to depress the rear end of the seat 24, thus exerting a pull on the cross bar 15 of the back.

Since the construction illustrated is, obviously. capable of a certain range of change and modification without departing from the spirit of my invention, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. In a chair, a main frame, a back frame pivoted to the main frame, a seat supported at its forward end from the main frame, means connecting the seat and back frame whereby the upper end of the back frame is moved forwardly when pressure is applied to the rear end of the seat, a ratchet bar pivoted to said back frame, a guide mounted on the main frame and into which the ratchet bar extends, a spring-pressed pawl mounted in said guide and coacting with the ratchet bar to prevent rearward motion of the bar while permitting forward motion thereof, and a longitudinally movable plunger mounted in said guide and operatively engageable with the pawl to free said bar.

2. In a chair, a main frame, a back frame pivoted to the main frame, a seat supported at its forward end from the main frame, means connecting the seat and back frame whereby the upper end of the back frame is moved forwardly when pressure is applied to the rear end of the seat, a ratchet bar pivoted to said back frame. a guide mounted on the main frame and into which the ratchet bar extends, a spring-pressed pawl mounted in said guide and coacting with the ratchet bar to prevent rearward motion of the bars while permitting forward motion thereof, a longitudinally movable plunger mounted in said guide and operatively engageable with the pawl to free said bar, and a stop on said bar to engage the pawl in any position of the pawl and thereby positively limit rearward movement of the bar.

LOUIS F. 80011. 

